The Enemy.
Tyrants Issue 40, Power War Part Six "The Enemy." Front cover- the words "Tyrant vs Tyrant" appear along the bottom of the cover. Icarus's humungous energy form spreads across the cover, as within the energy form struggles Kaan'Qsst with his metallic Caber-absorbed skin. Where we last left our heroes, after sucking out and absorbing both masses of mutant and technological energy, Icarus had then disappeared from sight... to most eyes at least. Great Briton stares down Icarus, or at least where he was. He narrows his eyes, "Villain, you steal power that is not yours. Let me show you what happens when powers combine though HOPE!" His body burns bright white as thin lines become apparent, connecting everyone's chests to that of Great Briton, but only for a moment. As his body changes and shifts, leaving a bright white being, a labcoat forms, and a reptile like tail. his hands shift into metallic gauntlets like the Gunns. He clicks his fingers and a bright white top hat like Mr Psychic's appears, which he places on his head. "We are power you can't steal," many voices speak out "We are gestalt." The thin line is still apparent for a flicker and the team's eyes shine bright. The comic shows Icarus flickering into sight over several panels "...Reb...? Wait..." Tonic seems to register the man (Null) that ran over to her for the first time "I...I'm sorry, do I k...know you?" Yu watches Great Briton's display of power with surprise, before nodding confidently. "Good. The plan remains unchanged." "Not in person, no. I would have preferred our first actual meeting to have been... less perilous, my granddaughter", Null says Cain looks about at the rest, following every's glance that goes Icarus-ward. "How delightfully convenient." he smirks, looking to Kaan'qsst to confirm if he seems able to see as well "It's...it's you..." says Atomic. Kaan'Qsst seems actually confused by what the glance should mean, raising an eyebrow. "What is convenient?" he remarks to Cain "Yes.." Null looks Atomic up and down "What has happened to you..." "Our ally in the sky has... can you see our foe? Heh... was he ever even missing to you?" Cain says to Kaan'Qsst, "No. He must have attempted to use Icarus's power." Kaan'Qsst taps the red visor now over his face. "Fool." "I was b...buried under the megaplex...then...the reactor, I..." Atomic explains to Null. Cain offers Kaan'qsst a "villain appreciation grin" at this last word "How are you even still alive?" Null places his hands on Atomic's shoulders. "And yet Icarus could not take this from you... but then if he had... we would not have had our hello would we?" he looks up at Icarus. "Though it may also be a good bye, I fear." "I...I don't know" she looks down at what's left of her arm. "And no...not yet. I need to tell Waterstone t...that the pay rise wasn't worth it for this..." Atomic throws herself forwards and hugs Null. "Hmm. Waterstone and her incentives. Still, her lab was better than being bunged up in Titan Bluff's making Surge at Citizen Titan's whim." There is obvious bile in Null's tone. "...I...I know, that was my job. For four years...I only went there because I wanted my powers...to all go away..." "And now you're..." Null retracts from her "you're..." He then looks up. "We can talk later. I am afraid I cannot aid in your allies assault." He looks at Atomic. "Whatever you have become, it might be wise to use it, before he finds a way to sap your energies." "Whatever I have...w....what?" Yu looks for a moment like he was about to cut in, but stops himself. Tonic bends down and picks up Iron Jack's gun from next to him, and turns it in her hands a few times...as her right hand, previously made up from nothing but an ash cloud, shifts...becoming an exact duplicate of the gun, which drops to the floor. "That may do" says Null, ignoring the question "P...please stay safe, until this is over..." The Dark Magician is visible still in the air, unusually quiet; he flies behind Icarus, but as Icarus is transparent, he is quite visible. More frighteningly, he has a serious expression on his face, and dark energy pours from his eyes, shifting around him like snakes of shadow. Kaan'Qsst looks to Cain "Now for the next step." He then looks to Bio-Luminal. "My friend, can you project the more harmful manifestations of your light in a more localised manner against our airborne foe? Attempt to disrupt him?" Bio-Luminal nods, the liquid within his transparent head flowing like a lava lamp. "Good. Then we begin." Kaan'Qsst reaches up with his hands. As purple energy draws from the endless sky into his hands, his metal feet glow as he launches himself into the air. "Hey, I didn't give the attack order yet!" Jack yells. "Then it is fortunate that I am simply getting into position" says Kaan'Qsst as he flies at Icarus and flies right into his chest. "You cannot harm me, I have no body any longer to harm!" Icarus bellows down at Kaan'Qsst. Mister Tops looks at Cain. "Ummm... orders, sir?" "If you can find something to throw at the wizardly fellow in the sky, dear Tops, I imagine that would be best... though I dare say you'll want to head for cover once you have." "On it, sir" says Tops "Kaan'Qsst...or Jack... tell me when to act. He...seems unable to take my powers, I will do what I can!" Atomic raises her newly acquired 'arm' towards Icarus as she speaks. Tops walks over to a large piece of rubble muttering "He had to request I throw something didn't he..." "She is right. Ignore him, continue the plan." Master of Arms looks at Iron Jack as he speaks, flicking his extendable staff free from its holster. "Yeah, sounds like a plan." Gunn throws aside the panel to the car he was hotwiring, stepping from the car. "Cain is ''my ''boss" says Tops and throws a chunk of rubble at the Dark Magician.: As the rubble flies, Dark Magician looks right at it and blasts a beam of dark energy from his eyes at it. The rubble flies through the beam, being ripped apart, reducing in size, but still a chunk the size of Dark Magician's face hits him. The debris mostly obliterates agains the forcefield, but still some rips through it, jolting DM's head back, dazing him. Tops looks to Cain and says "Taking that cover now, sir!" He wipes his brow, looking a little tired by the power behind the throw. "Splendid shot, Tops. All the best!" Cain says, with a brief wave, before getting prepared again, and the triceratops man vaults into the rubble. "Right... Sorry about the car, Dad. I'll be back shortly." Sonne hops into the air, shooting towards the fray, fist outstretched. Sonne launches himself right towards Icarus Null bends down over Iron Jack, alongisde his granddaughter. Jack looks very red in the face, his legs deactivated, and his one arm and gauntlet on the other arm, as he looks up at the sky, his gun lying next to him. "Are you going to be able to initiate this combined attack you have called for?" Null asks. "Can't... move my... prosthetics... and... heart's a little.. juddery right now..." "Your heart is cybernetic?" "Only partially, thankfully." Null picks up the rifle. "Then I shall follow my granddaughter's lead. Can you still give the order?" Iron Jack, one eye deactivated, looks up with great effort. "Yes." "Very well." Yu, Master of Disguise looks to his counterpart. "So, you wish to see my nobility... very well." His skin turns to black metal, as he also turns to CABER. Yu, Master of Arms, looks at his counterpart in abject disbelief. The Master of Arms then absorbs energy like Kaan'Qsst and flies into the air, flying through the chest of Icarus, flying near Kaan'Qsst. "That's a lot of energy for one man to absorb!" Yu comments "I am no man", Kaan'Qsst comments. "That explains the lack of ladies on our team" Yu retorts "Droll", Kaan'Qsst snorts. Mr Psychic raises a hand to his top hat, a finger hovering over the cerebral activate power switch. Master of Arms rams his staff into the scabbard hanging from his hip, ripping free the large crescent blade, now attached to the staff. With a quick spin, he draws a circle in the dirt around him with the tip of the blade. He then stands upright, bows his head and begins chanting quietly in Chinese, monotone. "All right..." Jack rasps. "Titannnnnnns..." He then looks up at Kaan'Qsst. "AND Tyrants... TOGETHER!" Cain takes wing, eyes darting to the others, trying to rapidly take in where each attack is likely to cross over. Yu's chanting grows louder and more intense as Iron Jack starts speaking. At the command, he sweeps his weapon down with one hand, thrusting his other palm straight up into the sky. An orb of blue ethereal fire with no heat materialises in his palm and shoots up, heading straight for Icarus. The Reb gestalt holds his hand up towards Icarus and fires a beam of light from him towards Icarus "You want power, then have your fill!" The many voices cry out as the beam fires towards him. Atomic glances towards her grandfather...then up at Icarus, raising the gun , as black ash swirls around it....and fires, staggering a couple of steps with the kickback of the thing, her features contorted with pain for a second. Null follows suit, firing and being thrown back a ltitle as well. Both of their bullets fly together. Cain breathes in deeply, lightning crackling around him form (primarily from his back), then breathes a torrent of lightning at Icarus.Bio-Luminal emits a concentrated cylinder of green light at Icarus. Kaan'Qsst looks to Yu, Master of Disguise. "Now." He clasps both their hands. "A closed circuit. Absorb!" Mr Psychic pushes down on the button on his hat. Gunn angles his flight to come at Icarus from over his head, putting the full weight of his speed behind him, fist glowing red. Dark Magician looks towards the incoming attacks and releases the dark snakes of energy that were floating about him. They fly at Gunn but he punches his way through them, as Gunn's fists go right into Icarus's 'skin', seeming to fail to hurt it. The dark energy entangles Great Briton's white energy beam, as the energy corrupts the beam, shooting back down it. Reb turns his hands and he flows more energy down the beam expanding it and it sees to flow over the black energy and force it back down the beam, like a tidal wave. The beam shatters apart in mid-air as Icarus smashes through it with his energy hand, and then he makes a huge roar, clutching his head, as pink energy resonates around it, as the comic cuts to Mister Psychic holding down the button on his hat rim. And then the bullets and the ball of ethereal fire strike Icarus, as the ethereal fire punches a hole into the energy form, which the bullets fly into. "ArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgHHHHHHHH!" Icarus screamsas his energy form starts to shatter apart. But Kaan'Qsst and Yu bring the energy back together, though it forms a massive energy whorl around the two Tyrants. And then Cain's lightning strikes. The comic shows a single page spread of the massive halo of green energy that Icarus has become raging in the air, which Kaan'Qsst and Yu are in the middle of. On the next page, the lightning stirkes, and it turns into a raging ring of electricity. A panel shows Sonne having electricity plunged through his suit, as he raises up a hand, having surrounded himself with a forcefield of red energy. His suit partially smokes and is juddered about. And then the lightning disperses "Can't absorb it... something else... anchoring..." says Kaan'qsst. He looks down. "Cain.". The lightning field starts to break apart, and then in hundreds of bolts shoots down at one spot. Cain. Cain hovers in the air, back arched, as the bolts begin to arch into him, curving around him. The blue of his scales intensifies, and his spines begin to hum with orange energy. "So... much power..." he rasps, as he begins to float gently upward, under no influence of his own. His head kicks backward, and an orange glow bursts forth from his eyes, piercing the heavens as he screams without sound. In the next panel, speech bubbles flood the background as we see Cain shuddering, struggling against a power that begins to shift him, threatening to tear the scales from his flesh with nothing but the hurricane winds beginning to whip around him. The speech bubbles are full of quotes from previous comics, ranging from "So much fiiiire..." to proclamations that were obviously from Zeus, to "THERE IS ONLY AVALON..." His wings burst into flame - much like Icarus' before him. Then another speech bubble is shown - Red Buddha's words, spoken to Cain directly, from his flashback earlier in the series. He utters a small gasp, the glow receding from his eyes, and begins to descend, the aether winds around him calming, but still present. And the comic cuts to a black armoured, sniper and assasin hiding, so unseen in the rubble where he snick through a now snuffed portal. The Gentleman's personal mutant hunting assasin, SHADE. "The demon just got a bottle. Bye bye, Icarus. Again. And to a sniper's bullet again, too... who'd have known it", he whispers. Cereberus 2: "Nullifier bullet manufactured and loaded." "Bang" says SHADE. He fires The comic shows the bullet wih a slow motion spiral behind it as it flies through the air. The comic follows the bullet, it in the foreground, Cain's face blurred in the background, as it heads right for his forehead. Cain, dazzled, shakes his head, looking up drearily to see the shot come for him. He clutches his head a moment, as if trying to shake off a headache, and the bullet turns to a smoke plume a foot away from him. Yu approaches Cain slowly, spear held in one hand, the tip still pointed low and to one side, relaxed. Yu still looks quite concerned, however. "Cain?" "I... yes, I suppose you could still call me that. Rrgh... I must thank Red again for... preparing me, for this. As much as one could, at least..." "Can someone, in simple terms that someone from Space might understand, tell me what's happening?" Sonne calls down. Yu looks up at Sonne, and then back down to Cain, expectantly. Kaan'Qsst floats above, resonating with partially absorbed energy. "What just happened, young Gunn, is that our mutual ally just transformed Icarus' form into electricity, and then used the power of the one amusingly called 'Shockosaurus' to absorb that energy into his body. Where I presume the energies have returned to their ordinary state, which is that of an amalgated combination of Icarus's and the Red;'s energy forms, both beings of pure mutant energy, who between them, carry thousands of years of retained power." "... that's... bad, right?" "Stealing my trick there, Cain...transforming things..." Atomic gives a faint smile at him. "That depends, Gunn... you trust me, right?" Cain grins a moment, but then hisses at the hurt again "Inside Cain, is the potential to fulfil my utltimate goal, and yours. The destruction of the Kraan, and saving your planet, respectively." "Trusted you with my life, Cain. I trusted you with my Father's life, with the lives of everyone in Titan City. I've trusted you this far, Cain. I... just don't know if you're still in there, buddy", Sonne says. Cain lets out an extended breath through pursed lips. "Hmm... I dare say I am, dear boy. Looks like all the Promethean Fire in the world can't teach an old lizard to whistle." "That's for the best, Cain. I don't mind you having random dinolizard parts, but you with lips would be terrifying." "...Well, he u...used to not have thumbs, maybe lips are next..." "Cain", Master of Arms says simply. "If this isn't an ancient headache remedy, Yu, then... *hsss*... rrh. Yes?" Yu stares at Cain in silence for a few, long moments. He then nods, satisfied. "Remember the basics: breathing, clear mind. Calmness." Cain closes his eyes, attempting taking a deep breath. His feet slip to default "concentration stance" position "That's the spirit. Hold it together, old boy", Mr Psychic says. "...I assume nobody else can s...see him then..." Atomic says and turns to where the shot came from. "I can't see anyone", Sonne says. The thin line between all the team and the gestalt shine a little then fade, Atromic's the last to fade out. The gestalt breathes out and shrinks down to Reb. Atomic takes a few steps off from where she was, the gun crumbling to ash as she does so "The sniper." She points, and twists her hand a little as she does so. "For the love of... a sniper. I'm afraid 'Snipers' aren't very high up on my calming scale, doctor", Cain responds. A huge patch of rubble off to one side suddenly disappears, leaving a gaping hole into the ground....as Atomic drops to her knees, doubled completely over and screaming with pain. The comic cuts above to show a hole about ten foot in diameter, leading right down into a sewer tunnel, as SHADE lands in the tunnel, landing on his feet. Dark Magician, still floating above, says "Tsk. Oh come -on-, Cain, you just absorbed the powers of at ''least ''a hundred... and including self proclaimied ''gods ''to boot, now, where is that power-mad rampage i was expecting..." He points at Cain. A finger glows. Cain turn his attention to the Dark Magician, attempting to give him a patient look. As more dark energy begins to build up around DM's finger, starting to pool around it It seems to try and pulse forward, but each time it nudges forward it immediately ebbs back "I'm sure I could allow myself a *little* rampage if you intend to keep trying that..." Cain calls up. "Cain, don't prove me wrong in stopping him there. O...Ok? No matter what t...that thing says." "Well, that wasn't quite what i was hoping for. Bored now." Dark Magician looks to Kaan'Qsst "Well, since i am sure you'll be getting the city back soon, thats my part here done. Toodle'oo!" He waves a hand, and vanishes in black flash "Hm. Well then, Tonic... should I be using the 'power of a hundred Gods' to do something about our uninvited guest, or do you think we could perhaps get back to the real world?" Cain looks down to one of his claws, in thought. "...W...Why are you asking me? " Reb's eyes flash white and shines over many people in the background. "I wouldn't want to do something 'wrong' to... whoever that was, would I?" "I'm human, I know right and wrong, they're..p...perspective..." "But i...if we don't stop him now...he will probably c...come back, I figure. Or shoot other people." The comic cuts to SHADE. He looks up. "So, Cerbereus, what do you thinK?" CERBERUS 1 "Subject seems to have the power to instantaneously mutate solutions. Powers are evenly matched. Stalemate only logical conclusion." "Then lets hope the lizard can keep Icarus contained, or they're in for a fight, and without little old me to save them." And with that, he disappears down the tunnel The comic cuts back to the team, as Kaan'Qsst lands by Atomic and Cain Reb's light seems only to have healed Sonne's injuries meanwhile, the unconscious forms drained by Icarus are still so. Kaan'Qsst looks to Atomic "Your maneuver has forced the quarry into flight. A shame, he appeared to have potent cybernetics. But no matter, enough power is here at hand." "S...Sorry..." Kaan'Qsst looks to Cain "You have been able to channel the powers of your kindred for a while now. Do you believe you can contain Icarus?" "i can't heal them!" Reb waves his arms arond in the background, looking very worried. Kaan'qsst looks back to Reb. "Because they were not harmed, their bodies merely reacted violently to the extraction of their energies." Then he looks back to Cain, awaiting his answer. Atomic's own power induced horrific injuries also remain. "My friend, I have no voices in my mind. No rival consciousness seeks to take hold. I've all but cast out the memories these powers held with them, but that's all they were... memories", Cain explains. "Then in that case, I must apologise to take such a gift from you", Kaan'Qsst explains. "Can you heal these people Mr Cain?" Reb calls. "Like...me and Wrench...you're copying again, Cain..." Atomic gives a laugh that turns into a violent cough. Kaan'Qsst places a metal hand on Cain's right shoulder. "I still have an army to empower. I hope you will still join me in our quest. Alas, you are simply a container... whilst I can distribute the power you hold." The comic zooms in on Kaan'Qsst's metal hand, as an orange glow flows around it, as he looks into Cain's eyes once again. "Kaan'qsst... we both have such grand ideas for our futures. I intend to help you... but not like this." As the orange energy starts to curl to Kann'qsst's hand, it turns a deeper orange, looping back around Cain's shoulder and forming a solid ring of flame, before seeping back into him "Very well." Kaan'Qsst stands back. He looks to his unconscious powerless army, and to Fraud, who is the same. He looks to Null, now without powers, and to Yu, still flying, then to Bio-Luminal. "Then it would be foolish to remain opposed. These heroes have shown that they trust you, despite what we may have done to them in the past." Kaan'Qsst looks to Master of Arms and raises up his hands, asYu watches him carefully. Kaan'Qsst says "I surrender." End of issue.